Lily plant named ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’, characterized by its small to medium plant size; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; orange-colored tepals with red purple-colored speckling towards the center of the flower; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of AsiaticHybrid Lily plant, botanically known as Lilium hybrida, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in 't Zand, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeding program was to develop new potted AsiaticHybrid Lily plants with erect flowers, attractive flower coloration andgood postproduction longevity.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in1995 of Lilium hybrida ‘Tiny Sensation’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 17,617, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietaryselection of Lilium hybrida, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a flowering plant from within the resultant progeny ofthe cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in 't Zand,The Netherlands in May, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scalesin a controlled greenhouse environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands sinceNovember, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new AsiaticHybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’ as anew and distinct cultivar of Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Small to medium plant size.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Orange-colored tepals with red purple-colored speckling        towards the center of the flower.    -   5. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of the femaleparent, ‘Tiny Sensation’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily are taller than plants        of ‘Tiny Sensation’.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have stronger pedicels        than plants of ‘Tiny Sensation’.    -   3. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and ‘Tiny Sensation’        differ in flower color as flowers of plants of ‘Tiny Sensation’        have less speckling.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of the maleparent selection primarily in plant height as plants of the new AsiaticHybrid Lily are taller than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants ofAsiatic Hybrid Lily ‘Orange Pixie’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.5,792. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of‘Orange Pixie’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have broader leaves        than plants of ‘Orange Pixie’.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have larger and flatter        flowers than plants of ‘Orange Pixie’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant, showing the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant. The photograph comprises aside perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tiny OrangeSensation’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsthat had been growing for about five months in 't Zand, The Netherlandsunder commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants weregrown at a minimum temperature of about 15° C. and the average daylengthwas about 14 hours. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesfor typical flowering plants. The photograph and the description weretaken during the winter.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lilium hybrida ‘Tiny Sensation’,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,617.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Lilium hybrida, not patented.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single            erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers;            small to medium plant size.        -   Growth habit.—Vigorous.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 36.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 20 cm.        -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Internode            length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile. Quantity of            leaves per plant: About 118. Length, lower leaves: About            8 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 1 cm. Length, upper leaves:            About 6.5 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 1 cm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Decurrent. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth;            leathery. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and            fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;            venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to            137C.        -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.            Color: Close to 155D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Terminal single flowers arranged on a            raceme on long, mostly erect and strong flowering stems.            Flowers face mostly upright.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in            The Netherlands. Plants can be flowered year-round in the            greenhouse and forced to bloom about 55 days after planting            bulbs.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 to 15 days; tepals            not persistent; gynoecium persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 cm.            Circumference: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 23B brushed with close            to 59A; sutures, close to 150B.        -   Flowers.—Quantity of flowers per flowering stem: Freely            flowering; larger bulbs will produce plants with about ten            flowers per flowering stem. Shape: Funnel-shaped; when fully            opened, flowers flatten and reflex slightly. Diameter: About            14.5 cm. Depth (height): About 6 cm.        -   Perianth.—Quantity/arrangement: Six tepals per flower;            tepals imbricate. Tepal length, inner tepals: About 8 cm.            Tepal width, inner tepals: About 4 cm. Tepal length, outer            tepals: About 10.4 cm. Tepal width, outer tepals: About            3.2 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal            margin: Entire. Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color: When opening, upper surface:            Close to 25A; speckling towards the base, close to 59A. When            opening, lower surface: Close to 59A. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 25B; speckling towards the base, close to            59A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 25B.        -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 45° to 70° from vertical. Strength:            Strong. Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About            six. Filament length: About 5.5 cm. Filament color: Close to            28C. Anther length: About 1.1 cm. Anther color: Close to            32A. Pollen color: Close to 32A. Pistils: Quantity per            flower: One. Style length: About 6.5 cm. Style color: Close            to 28C. Stigma length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: Close to            25B.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:            Close to 145B.        -   Seed produced.—No viable seeds observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Asiatic Hybrid Lilies has not been observed.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have    exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to    tolerate temperatures from about −15° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Tiny Orange Sensation’ asillustrated and described.